Draft appliance.



A. E. STUDEBAKER.

DRAFT APPLIANCE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-26. 1918.

1,289,57 Patnted Dec. 31, 1918.

ABRAHAM E. STUDEBAKER, OF TIPPECANOE CITY, OHIO.

DRAFT APPLIANCE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented-Dec. 31, 1918.

Application filed August 26, 1918. Serial 110,251,573.

Toall whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ABRAHAM E. STUDE: BAKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tippecanoe City, in the county of Miami and State of Ohio, have invented cerof operation of such devices, whereby they will'not only be cheapened in construction,

but will be .more efiicient in use, automatic in .action, cap able of being easily and quickly connected and disconnected, 'and unlikely to get out of repair.

A- further" object adjustable tensioning means whereby it may be readily set to release upon different de grees of pulling strain.

A further object of the invention is to provide in such a device means whereby the apparatus is always set or ready for connection without the necessity of preliminary adjustment, or rearrangement of parts.

A further object is to provide such a device which will not necessitate accurate relative ad ustment of the lnterconnectlng members, ."but' which will: permit a reasonable latitude in the relative positions of the machines or apparatus to be interconnected by i the draft appliance.

\Vith the above primary and other incidental objects in view as will more fully appear in the specification, the invention consists of the features of construction the parts and combinations thereof, and the of theginvention is to provide an automatic releasing hitch having acters of reference throughout the several views. I

SIIICB the application of mechanical motive power or tractor engines for drawing farm implements has become general, various forms of automatic safety hitches, or draw bar connections, have been devised. These have usually been of a spring trip or trigger type adapted to be disengaged by excessive strain, or they have in many instances involved the use of a breakable link or connection, such as a wooden pin or other yielding member which must necessarily be restored or replaced after each operation.

The use of such devices require the carrying of a supply of surplus parts, and the loss of time in the resetting or readjustment of the members. Furthermore the use of such devices frequently necessitates the backing or manipulation to and froof the trac tor or engine inorder to bring into registry the holes'in the interchanging members for the coupling element.

matically sets the device for the rengage' ment of the members. Further the appliance operates merely as a hook, thereby does not require the nicety of adjustment ofthe drawing and drawn mechanisms.

While the shape, form and arrangement of the device may be variously modified, the construction shown in the drawings comprises a rotary toothed'engaging memberl, pivoted intermediatetwo parallel draw bars 2 upon a stud or bolt 3. Extending through the bars 2 at the opposite sides of the rotary engaging member 1 are clamp bolts 44. The forward ends ofthe bars 2 have been shown as twisted at 5 to a right angle plane to facilitate their connection with the drawing member or tractor indicated at 6.1 This connection is effected by a pin or bolt 7, or in. any other suitable manner. The twisting of the bars, and the mode of attachment, are-not essential to the invention.

The rotary engaging member 1 has been shown rectangular and provided with an entering notch 8 from each side adjacent to the forward corner thereof in relation with the direction of rotation, thus giving the rotary member a gneral swastika shape. This shape aflords a succession offorwardly extending hook shaped teeth 9 over any of which is engaged the terminal link 10 or a clevis connected by a chain 11 with the drawnimplement or mechanism. 7

It is to be noted that the notch or recess 8 in which the terminal link 10 is engaged is positioned somewhat above the center of rotation of the rotary engaging member whereby the pulling strain of the chain ll is somewhat off center, thereby tending to rotate the member 1 about the stud or bolt 3.

The resistance to rotary motion is regulated by the adjustment of the bolts 3 and 4; The bars 2 are thus caused to afford a greater or less degre of frictional engage ment with the rotary engaging member 1, proportioned to the work to be performed. The bolts are tightened to afford a clamping action of the bars sufiicient to hold the rotary member against movement under ordinary conditions of use. However, in the event the plow, or other implement encounters an obstruction which might damage orbreak the drawn device, the increased pulling strain ov.-rcomes the frictional resistance of the draft appliance, until the engaging notch assumes an upturned or substantially vertical position due to a quarter rotation of the member 1. It is to be further noted that the upper side of the recess or notch 8 when in engaging position or the rear side when upturned is inclined. As the engaging notch 8 reaches the second or vertical position due to the quarter rotation of the member 1 the continued pull upon the chain causes the terminal link to slide up the inclined side of the notch and so be automatically disengaged from the draft appliance. This serves to protect the drawn device against injury. The rotation of the member 1 under excessive strain whereby the engaging notch is moved to the second or releasing position, simultaneously advances the succeeding notch or recess into engaging position. The device is thus always ready for reconnection merely upon backing the tractor or engine within reach of the chain 11.

From the above description, it will be apparent that there is thus provided a device of the character described, possessing the particular features of advantage before enumerated as desirable, but which, obviously is susceptible of modification in its form, proportions, detail construction or arrangement of parts without departing from the principle involved or sacrificing any of its advantages.

While in order to comply with the statute, the invention has been described in language more or less specific as to structural fea tures, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific details shown, but that the means and construction herein described and shown, comprise but one of several modes of putting the invention into effect, and the invention is therefore claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. 'In a draft appliance of the character described, a rotary engaging member, an engaged member normally connected therewith and adapted, to be released by the rotation of the engaging member, and means for yieldingly holding the engaging member against rotary movement. I

2. In a draft appliance of the character described, a movable engaging member, an engaged member normally connected therewith and adapted to be released by the movement of the engaging member and means for V frictionally retarding the'movement of the engaging member. e r

3. In a draft appliance of the character described, a movable engaging member, an e'ngagedmember normally connected therewith and adapted to be-released by the movement of the engaging member, and clamping means for normally holding the engaging member against movement. 7

4:. In a draft appliance of the character described, a movable engaging member, an engaged member normally connected therewith, and. adapted to be released by the move-' ment of the engaging member, a pair of draft bars between'which the engaging member is positioned and means for relatively adjusting said draft bars to clamp the engaging member in operative position.

5. In a draft appliance of the character described, a pivoted member having a series of engaging projection thereon, an engaged member capable of engagement with any one of the projections, from which it is automatically released by the rotation of the. pivoted engaging member, and means for yieldingly holding the engaging member against rotation.

6. In a draft appliance of the character described, a pivoted member having a series of engaging projections thereon, an engaged member capable of engagement with any one of'the projections from which it is automatically released by the rotation of the pivoted engaging member and frictional means for retarding the rotation of the engaging member. I

7. In a draft appliance of the character described, a pivoted member having a series of engaging projections thereon, an engaged member capable'of engagement with any one of the projections, from which it is automatically released by the rotation of the pivoted engaging member, and clamping means for normally holding the pivoted engaging member against rotation.

8. In a draft appliance of.- the character described, a series of movable engaging members, an engaged member capable of engagement With any one of the series of engaging members and adapted to be released therefrom by the movement of the engaging member, the movement of the engaging member to release the engaged member being adapted to present another engaging member of the series in position for the reengagement of the engaged member.

9. In a draft appliance of the character described, a rotary member having a plurality of notches therein, a second member adapted to be engaged in any one of the notches of the rotary member and to be released therefrom by the rotation of said member, means for yieldingly holding said rotary member against movement, the construction and arrangement being such that the movement of the rotary member to release the engaged member therefrom Will simultaneously present another notch of said member in position for engagement.

10. In a draft appliance of the character described, an engaging member and a second member adapted'to be engaged therewith and to be automatically released therefrom by an excessive pulling strain, and means whereby the release of the second member from the engaging member Will automatically reset the engaging member for reengagement of the second member.

11. In a draft appliance of the character described, a series of movable detents or teeth, a second member adapted to be engaged With any one of said detents or teeth, and to be automatically disengaged there from When the detent is moved to predetermined position, means for retarding the movement of said movable detents, the movement of one detent or tooth of the series to releasing position being adapted to automatically present a succeeding detent or tooth in condition for engagement.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 14th day of August, A. D. 1918.

ABRAHAM E. STUDEBAKER.

Witnesses:

l/VILLIAM A. SWANEY, F. L. WALKER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0." 

